Corrupted Bonds - Chapter 28: Fractures Beneath the Surface

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.

The protagonist, a famous YouTuber known for playing the game trilogy “Tril Trilo Trilogy,” finds himself possessing the final boss of the game world.Before the release of the new instalment in the series, he receives an offer from the game’s developer to play a prequel, “Part 0,” which explores events that occurred before the first instalment. Since he is a fan of “Tril Trilo Trilogy,” he eagerly accepts the offer.However, through some twist of fate, he wake ups in the world of “Tril Trilo” in the dreadful body of the final boss of the trilogy, a character named Frank Wonderstein.

While playing the online game “Convergence of Ten Thousand Realms,” Yan Luoyue suddenly found herself transmigrated into the body of a newly hatched baby turtle in the cultivation world of the turtle clan.Fortunately, her system account had come along with her, and the skill books and equipment in her inventory were still intact.However, there was a bug in her account information.Year after year, Yan Luoyue watched as her health bar grew infinitely longer.Every year on her birthday, an extra zero was added to her health bar.In the first year after her transmigration, Yan Luoyue used all her divine artifacts to ensure her fragile self wouldn’t choke to death on her own saliva.By the tenth year, she removed all her equipment and casually strolled through the forbidden grounds of her clan.The sealed demons and monsters surrounded her, hacking away for three days and three nights, until they collapsed, foaming at the mouth.A hundred years after her transmigration, Yan Luoyue looked up and realized her health bar now spanned the entire continent.Someone once asked Demon Venerable Yan, “Does being invincible make you lonely?”Yan Luoyue kindly replied, “Silly child, how could being invincible be lonely? It’s absolutely amazing.”Synopsis Two:Wu Manshuang was covered in poison, the last of the Teng Serpent (celestial serpent) lineage in the world.The closer anyone got to him, the deeper the poison would affect them.So, Wu Manshuang wrapped himself up tightly. He hid in a pitch-black cloak, avoiding all living beings. He thought his life would pass in solitude, until—A young girl’s slender, warm hand touched his cheek.“Your health-draining debuff is pretty strong, huh?”Wu Manshuang quickly pushed her hand away. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”“Relax,” the girl said with a carefree smile. “I’m way stronger than you.”From then on, the little serpent gently coiled around the turtle’s shell.And then…The world gained the divine beast Xuanwu.Reading Tips:1. This is my take on cultivation with personal world-building, possibly a lot of it.2. A long, slow-burn progression story with a gradual narrative style.3. A cultivation story with an ensemble cast.